ACC Championship Game could be for battle for third place

Instead of the ACC Championship Game pitting the conference’s top two teams against each other, it could be a battle for third place.

On Saturday, College Football Playoff No. 13 Miami Hurricanes (9-2, 5-2 in ACC) and SMU Mustangs (8-3, 6-1 in ACC) made convincing arguments to be considered the cream of the crop in the ACC, yet both are at risk of missing out on the Dec. 6 conference title game with a week remaining before the participants are set.

Miami, SMU need help to make ACC title game despite looking like conference’s best

Miami scored on its first five possessions — gaining at least 50 yards on each drive — while holding the Virginia Tech Hokies (3-8, 2-5 in ACC) to three first-half points in an eventual 34-17 win.

Quarterback Carson Beck had arguably his best game of the season, finishing 27-of-32 for 320 yards and four touchdowns. The defense wreaked havoc, ending the game with five sacks, nine tackles for loss, four pass breakups and two forced fumbles.

SMU, last year’s ACC runner-up, was arguably more impressive in a 38-6 win over the Louisville Cardinals (7-4, 4-4 in ACC), who were without quarterback Miller Moss (foot). The Mustangs out-gained the Cardinals, 485-228, and quarterback Kevin Jennings eclipsed the 300-yard mark for the third consecutive game, throwing for 303 yards and three touchdowns.

Unless the two receive help, they won’t make it to Charlotte, North Carolina, the first Saturday in December, which would force Miami to sweat out Selection Sunday for a possible at-large bid and knock SMU out of the playoff conversation altogether.

No. 16 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (9-1, 6-1 in ACC) and No. 19 Virginia Cavaliers (9-2, 6-1 in ACC) will play for the conference’s automatic berth if they win out. Georgia Tech plays the Pittsburgh Panthers (7-3, 5-1 in ACC) later Saturday in their final conference game this season, while Virginia is on a bye before playing Virginia Tech next Saturday.

Per ESPN’s Football Power Index, the Yellow Jackets have the second-worst strength of schedule in the ACC — No. 88 nationally — while Virginia isn’t far ahead at No. 80 in FBS. The Cavaliers have also needed overtime in wins over Florida State (5-6, 2-6 in ACC), North Carolina (4-6, 2-4 in ACC) and Louisville while surviving a scare from Washington State (5-6, 0-1 in Pac-12) in a 22-20 win. Some may argue Virginia has been more lucky than good, and that assessment holds weight. It actually already has two conference losses, which should put them behind SMU, but one of those came against NC State (6-5, 3-4 in ACC) in a designated nonconference game.

As unpredictable as the ACC has been, it wouldn’t be all too surprising for enough chaos to happen where either Miami or SMU sneaks into the championship game. Then again, what could be more unlikely than a conference’s two best teams being iced out of the title tilt?

The Hurricanes and Mustangs have only themselves to blame for placing their fate in the hands of others. Miami was sloppy in its loss to Louisville, while SMU’s offense failed to show up in a loss at Wake Forest (8-3, 4-3 in ACC). Those results have drastically altered the ACC standings. In a year with no clear-cut distinction among the conference’s top teams, the two with the most potential could be left in the dust.